Sushi samba

 Make a statement at check-in with this scrumptious sushi passport cover. It's lightly padded and lined with a red and white cotton polka dot fabric. The perfect gift for a food lover or Japanophile.

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Japanese icons

 Whilst living in Japan I grew a great appreciation for all things Japanese. This inspired me to design an art print which encompassed all may favourite things from kimonos and geta to sushi and sake, and many more. This illustration is printed onto a lovely thick watercolour paper which you can buy through my Etsy store.

 Alternatively you can buy this as a print in my Spoonflower shop. It can be bought by the yard on a variety of fabrics or you can choose from a selection of ready-made items such as cushions and bedding to tableware and throws.

I also decided to create some offshoot prints, using images from the main design. Mount Fuji is a stunning sight and a great place to visit if you get the chance. I designed this simple icon on a blue background and gave it a big red sun.

In the past, Japanese fans often showed your social standing and were made out of washi paper and painted with traditional images from nature. I chose to decorate these fans with iconic Japanese icons such as blossom, maple leaves and birds.

Japanese origami is the art of paper folding and you can create some pretty intricate pieces. The crane is one of the most popular forms to create and a thousand cranes are thought to bring good luck. I didn't quite create a thousand but I did create a pleasing multi colour palette of cranes on a navy blue background.

The iconic torii gates are found at the entrance to shinto shrines and mark the passing from the every day to the sacred. Their fabulous red/orange colour is said to ward off evil spirits and bad luck.

Japanese lucky cats are often found near the entrance to businesses such as shops and restaurants and invite custom and prosperity. The left paw raised brings custom, the right paw raised brings wealth. A gold cat attracts wealth and prosperity whilst a pink cat attracts love and romance.

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Tokyo trip - Day six

The second day of the International Bazaar was slower, but went well and finished at a decent time of 2pm! All the vendors slowly packed up and said their goodbyes to each other for another year. I've made some great friends from doing the Bazaar and feel very lucky to have met them! I also made a new friend, Keiko Fujishita who creates beautiful pottery items. Our stalls were next to each other and she was a lovely person to be next to.

I just had enough time to go back to the apartment and freshen up before heading out to Shimokitazawa to meet my dear friend Michiko. Shimokitazawa is a great little town just 5 minutes out of Shibuya on the Inokashira line. It has a laid back feel and is made up of lots of bustling little streets full of independent bars, restaurants and shops. We took some time wandering around, dipping into shops and having a fiddle about. There's a fabric shop I like there, so we dipped into that and, needless to say, I came out with some purchases....

I loved the bird fabric and found a fab floral fabric to use as a lining.

Theses apples are great and will make a fab cosmetic bag.

I couldn't leave without picking up these two cat fabrics that are so different in style! They will both look great as coin purses, card cases and glasses cases.

We then went on to a vintage kimono shop and, among other things, I picked up this stunning piece. I love the colour combination.

Another shop we went into, called Wargo, sold beautiful chrysanthemum-shaped obidome. These are the brooches that go on the obijime, the 'strap' that goes around the obi, which is the 'belt' that goes around the kimono!

The obijime come in lots of lovely colours and you could spend hours choosing the right combination.

Some of the obidome had been attached to leather belts or bangles, showing the different uses for them.

All this shopping had made us hungry so we headed off to a fabulous izakaya in the neighbourhood where they served beautifully fresh sushi and sashimi. God I miss that when I'm in the UK!

Of course we couldn't leave without sampling the sake options! This one was extra dry. Note the overflowing cup! This was done traditionally as a sign of prosperity. The saucer underneath catches the overflow and you just pour it back into your cup once you've made room for it!

Cocktails and sushi

I had a lovely time this evening, catching up with my good friend Michiko. What better way to do it than over cocktails and a stunning view of Tokyo?! This was followed by sushi in Akasaka, washed down with sake, yum!

I really am embracing some Japanese classics. Last night Sanna and I decided to do a spot of karaoke on the way home from dinner. There are karaoke places all over the place, so it wasn't hard to find one. We did the classic thing of saying we'd only stay for half an hour.......An hour and a half later we had to scrape ourselves away from the microphones after belting out some classic 80s hits.